The rule of thumb for anyone whose clothing has caught fire is to stop, drop, and roll. Smother flames with a blanket or sleeping bag.
“Eliminating the source” also means you must instantly remove burned clothing, except for bits of cloth that adhere to the burn itself. Remove watches and jewelry that can retain heat.
Boiling water [...]
In hot areas, dress your child in summer clothes made of loosely woven material so air can circulate freely over young skin and allow moisture to evaporate freely. Snug-fitting clothes restrict blood circulation and should be avoided. Put a hat on the child, especially one with a wide brim, to shade the head and face.
Source: [...]
For maximum comfort and blister prevention, you should wear two layers of socks, a thin polyester sock liner with a thicker outer sock. Make sure to change your socks if they get wet and also at night before going to bed.
Source: Love the Outdoors
After a modest warm-up (say, 10 minutes of walking), take time to stretch. Stretch after your hike, too. Your muscles and joints will thank you.
Tip: Don’t attempt to exceed your physical limits early in your hiking season.
More at REI - Backcountry Health Topics
Altitude illness is a state of unease a wilderness explorer feels when traveling at high elevations. Traditionally, 10,000 feet is regarded as the height where altitude symptoms—a sluggish sensation often accompanied by a headache—kick in for most people, but they can afflict others as low as 6,000 feet. Acute cases of this illness can be [...]
Thoroughly break in boots before hitting the trail, nothing is worse than blistered feet when you have miles to go.
From the Coalition for Portable Propane Product Safety web site
To remove musty smell from canteen, put three teaspoons of baking soda into the canteen with a bit of water. Swish it around and let sit for an hour, then rinse out the canteen.
From A Better Home & Garden web site
Closely monitor a child who’s overweight because excess body fat reduces heat-shedding capabilities. The long and lean are heat-dissipaters, while those who enjoy the cold are often fat-insulated heat-retainers.
(”Babes in the woods”, Backpacker, Aug. 1994)
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